On most days , Mark Lindenberg either drives or walks over to visit with Boots , his beloved cat who died in 2020 at 17 years old .
马克·林登伯格几乎每天都开车或步行去看望布茨，那是他心爱的猫，2020年以17岁高龄去世。
The New York man had the animal buried at the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery , a burial place on small grassy hills near the main road .
这位纽约男子把猫葬在了哈茨代尔宠物墓地，那是一片靠近主干道、长满青草的小山丘墓地。
The words on Boots ’ tombstone read , “You taught me how to love and be loved .”
布茨的墓碑上写着：“你教会了我如何去爱和被爱。”
Other tombstones include phrases such as “A truer friend we never had ” and “Our beloved queen .”
其他墓碑上有“我们从未有过更真诚的朋友”和“我们心爱的女王”等字句。
“Human cemeteries are sad ,” Lindenberg said .
林登伯格说：“人类的墓地让人伤感。”
“This is one of the most cheerful places .”
“这里是最令人愉快的地方之一。”
He added , “I can't think of a better place .”
他补充说：“我想不出更好的地方了。”
Hartsdale is America's oldest pet cemetery in operation .
哈茨代尔是美国仍在运营的最古老的宠物墓地。
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012 .
它于2012年被列入国家史迹名录。
Lindenberg says he paid about $7,000 to bury Boots at Hartsdale .
林登伯格说，他花了大约7000美元把布茨葬在哈茨代尔。
Those costs cover the individual site , burial , burial container , tombstone , and grounds care .
这些费用包括独立墓位、安葬、棺木、墓碑和场地维护。
“What have I worked for if I'm not going to do the things that matter most , and this mattered most ,” Lindenberg said .
林登伯格说：“如果不去做最重要的事情，那我辛苦工作是为了什么？而这件事就是最重要的。”
“I got instant closure the day I decided I was going to bury her here .”
“我决定把它葬在这里的那天，心里立刻就释然了。”
Pet burials started in Hartsdale in 1896 when animal doctor Samuel Johnson let a woman bury her dog on his property of apple trees .
哈茨代尔的宠物安葬始于1896年，当时兽医塞缪尔·约翰逊允许一名女子把她的狗埋在他种满苹果树的土地上。
The place is about 30 kilometers north of New York City .
这里位于纽约市以北约30公里处。
Since that time , about 70,000 animals have been laid to rest in the two-hectare cemetery .
从那时起，约有7万只动物长眠于这片两公顷的墓地。
Most of the pets buried at Hartsdale are cats and dogs , but several other kinds of animals are also there .
葬在哈茨代尔的宠物大多是猫和狗，但也有其他几种动物。
“There's reptiles that are buried here .
“这里埋着爬行动物。
Mice ,” said Edward Martin III , vice president of the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery .
还有老鼠。”哈茨代尔宠物墓地副总裁爱德华·马丁三世说。
“There's a lion cub that was buried here in 1912 by a Russian princess .
“这里有一头幼狮，是1912年由一位俄国公主埋葬的。
There's the ashes of Ming , who's a Bengal tiger that was buried here a few years ago .
还有几年前葬在这里的孟加拉虎明的骨灰。
There are some monkeys .”
还有几只猴子。”
There is also Hudson the horse , some birds and singer Mariah Carey's cat , Clarence .
这里还有名叫哈德逊的马、一些鸟，以及歌手玛丽亚·凯莉的猫克拉伦斯。
The oldest headstone , dating to 1898 , remembers the life of a dog named Blague .
最古老的墓碑可追溯到1898年，纪念一只名叫布拉格的狗。
Martin operates the place with his father Edward Martin Jr ., who purchased the cemetery in 1974 .
马丁和父亲小爱德华·马丁一起经营这里，他的父亲于1974年买下了这座墓地。
The younger Martin is a lawyer and accountant who decided later in his career to help run the cemetery .
小马丁是律师兼会计师，在职业生涯后期决定帮忙经营墓地。
He had worked there also as a teenager .
他十几岁时也曾在那里工作。
“And I have helped them , and it makes me want to continue helping them .”
“我帮助过他们，这让我想继续帮助他们。”
Between 250 and 300 burials take place at Hartsdale each year .
哈茨代尔每年有250到300次安葬。
The cemetery never runs out of space because not all of the burial sites are permanent .
这座墓地从不缺位置，因为并非所有墓位都是永久的。
People can make a one-time forever maintenance payment of $3,500 or a yearly payment of $105 .
人们可以一次性支付3500美元的永久维护费，或每年支付105美元。
If the yearly payments stop , that gravesite is offered for sale .
如果停止每年缴费，该墓位就会出售。
“The pet in the grave will be removed from that plot so someone else who wants it can pay the maintenance .
“墓里的宠物会从那块墓地移出，这样想要它的人就可以支付维护费。
And the pets are taken out , and they're cremated , and they don't leave the cemetery ,” said Martin Jr ., Hartsdale's president .
这些宠物会被移出并火化，但不会离开墓地。”哈茨代尔总裁小马丁说。
“Their remains are scattered over the cemetery grass .”
“它们的骨灰会撒在墓地的草地上。”
A centerpiece at the cemetery is the war dog memorial at the top of a hill .
墓地的核心景点是山顶上的军犬纪念碑。
Established in 1923 , the memorial honored World War I service dogs .
这座纪念碑建于1923年，用以纪念第一次世界大战中的服役犬。
But these days , the memorial honors service dogs of all kinds .
但如今，这座纪念碑纪念各种服务犬。
“I have to be buried somewhere .
“我总得葬在某个地方。
And why would I go to any place other than this ?” he said .
那我为什么要去别的地方，而不是这里呢？”他说。
“My mother and father , and my mother-in-law or father-in-law are buried here , and so , that's a good reason by itself to do it .”
“我的父母，还有我的岳母或岳父都葬在这里，单凭这一点就是很好的理由。”
Lindenberg also likes the idea .
林登伯格也喜欢这个主意。
He has already prepared to be cremated and buried alongside Boots when the time comes .
他已经做好安排，等到那一天就火化并葬在布茨旁边。
I don't know if I'll ever get married , and I can't think of a better place ,” he said .
我不知道自己会不会结婚，也想不出更好的地方了。”他说。
“I lived with my cat every day for almost 17 years .
“我和我的猫每天生活在一起，将近17年。
Why stop now ?”
为什么现在要停下来呢？”
In the meantime , Lindenberg , who lives a 10-minute walk away , will continue to visit his old friend almost daily .
在此之前，住在步行10分钟路程外的林登伯格将继续几乎每天都来看望他的老朋友。